Roller conveyer



A ril 13, 1937. H. M. RISHEL ROLLER CONVEYER Filed March 23, 1936 I INVENTOR HUBER? M. RISHEL 57 m ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca I ROLLER; CONVEYER Hubert M. Rishel, Edwardsville, Ill., assignor to Mathews Conveyer Company, Ellwood- City, Pas

a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 23, 1936, Serial No. 70,204 7 Claims. (01. 193-35) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in conveyers and more particularly to spring mounted conveyers of the general char.- acter disclosed in my co-pending applications 5 Serial Nos. 70,202 and 70,203, each filed March 23, 1936. i An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive conveyer unit comprising a supporting member having means for resiliently supporting a conveyer roller therein, and

whereby the spring means is retained under a fixed compression.

A further object is to provide a conveyer unit comprising a supporting member having oppositely disposed. guides therein adapted to receivesuitable springs, and bearing elements mounted on said springs and supporting a conveyer roller, said bearing elements'being adapted to engage means on the supporting member for limiting downward movement of the conveyer roller against the pre-conipression of the springs, and

said base member having means for limiting upward movement of the roller and for retaining the springs under a predetermined compression.

A further object is'to provide a conveyer comprising a plurality of independent conveyer-units adapted to be alined to provide a longitudinally extending conveyer, and each conveyer roller being supported upon suitable spring elements 3 which are retained under a predetermined compression, determined by the weight of the load to be conveyed, and the supporting member of each unit having upright portions extending above the upper portions of the rollers and serv- 35 ing as guards to retain elongated articles, such as rails, on the conveyer.

A further object is to provide a conveyer unit comprising a supporting member having a conveyer roller resiliently mounted therein, and

40 said unit being self-contained whereby it readily lends itself for use in various types of roller conveyer installations.

Other objects of the invention will appear from 4 the following description and accompanying 45 drawing and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be 50 understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawing:

55 Figure 1 is an elevational view, partially in sec- Figure 2 is a sectional plan view on. the line The novel conveyer unit herein disclosed is shown comprising a supporting member, gener-- ally indicated by the numeral 2, and comprising a base portion 3 having uprightportions 4 cooperating to provide vertical guides for a pair of resilient-elements or springs 5, shown supported in said guides with their lower ends seated on the base portion 3 of the member 2.

Suitable bearing elements 6 each having 8. depending portion 1, are supported on the springs .5, with their depending portions 1 fitting in the springs 5, as best shown in Figure 1. An axle 8 is supp'o-rted in ,the bearing elements 6 and carries a suitable conveyer roller 9, preferably rotatably' mounted upon the axle 8 in the usual manner. The outer ends of the bearing 'elements 6 are preferably shaped as shown at H ders for suitable retaining pins [2, secured to the terminals of the axle 8, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. In the structure, as here shown, the pins [2 prevent relative rotation of the axle and also axial movement thereof. If

for accomplishing the same result.

Means is provided for'retaining the springs 15 under a predetermied compression, and, 'in the present instance, is shown comprising horizontal wall portions l3, integrally formed with upright portions ll of the supporting member, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3.

The guides or recesses 4 are open at their inner sides, whereby the spring elements 5 may readily in Figure 1, thereby to provide abutment shoul-.-

'desired, other suitable means may be provided be inserted therein, after the bearing elements 6 are mounted thereon, as clearly illustrated at the right hand side of Figure 2. Before the springs 5, with the bearing elements 6 supported thereon,

- are inserted into the recesses l, the springs are compressed sufficientlyqzo allow the upper portions of the bearing elements to pass beneath the abutment walls It, as will readily be understood by reference to Figure 1. Theaxle 8 may be ins'erted through the apertures in the bearing elementsB and the bearings of the roller 9, after the springs and bearing elements have been properly positioned in theguides I, as shown in Figure 1. p

The pre-compression of the springs is an important factor in the construction .of the-conveyerunit, and may be determined by the weight of theload to be transported over the conveyer. In other words, as a specific example, if the safe carrying load of the roller 9 is 300 pounds, the springs are preferably pre-compressed to at least 309 pounds or 150 pounds per spring, before being inserted into the recesses 4, whereby the springs do not substantially yield or flex,- when springs 5. 4o

' rollers to yield when subjected to an overload,

. most portions of the rollers 8, and may serve as a normal load is supported on the roller. However, when an overload, or aload weighing in ex-- cess of the safe carrying capacity of the roller,

or, in the present instance, over 300 pounds, is

imposed on the roller, the springs Ii will flex and permit the roller to yield, to the weight of the overload, whereby damage to vthe roller and its bearings is substantially eliminated. In certain instances where the loads to be transported are of such character that they will be supported on'skids which engage a plurality of rollers, it will be obvious that the skids may be of such length as to engage any desired number of rollers,

and hence the weight will be proportionally dis-' tributed over those rollers engaged by the skids.

In such instance, each roller engaged by the skids as the load passes thereover may can'y considerably less than 300 pounds and hence, if desired,-

the springs of each roller may be pre-compressed a correspondingly less amount. In the simple structure herein disclosed, no meansis provided .for relatively varying the pre-compression of'the If desired, the supporting member '2 may be provided with suitable anchor lugs, such as shown of eflo'rt. Because of the conveyer rollers 9 being supported upon the springs I, the rollers are free to'yieid in avertical plane when subjected to an overload, which maybe caused from variations in the bottom of the load being transported over the conveyer. Also, by thus permitting the damage to the roller and its bearings; is substantially eliminated,. and each roller Will contact with the load and carry approximately its proportionate share of the weight thereof. The conyer Imit is very simple and inexpensive, as will,

readily be understood by reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, and may be manufactured in quantity production at a-comparatively small cost. The upper portions "of the side members of the supporting member 2, project above the upp rguards for retaining the articleson the conveyer,

while in-transit, as will, readily'be understood by reierencetoFlgure-l. I

I Figures 6 and '7 illustrate a conveyer comprising a plurality of conveyer units somewhat similar.

figure, but wherein the upright portions ll of the supporting member 2 have longitudinally extending guard rails l8 suitably secured thereto to retain articles on the conveyer.

The term substantial pre-compression as used in the claims, denotes a pre-compression greater than the compression caused by the normal weight of each roller and its associated parts.

I claim as my invention:

l l. A conveyer composed of a plurality of independent conveyer' units arranged to provide a suitable conveyer' bed, each unit comprising asupporting member having a plurality of resilient elements mounted thereon, a conveyer roller mounted on the resilient elements of each unit, means for retaining said elements under a substantial pre-compression independent of the weight of the roller and its associated parts, and means on each supporting member projecting above the uppermost portions of thezconveyer rollers andcooperating to provide guard rails to retain. articles on the conveyer.

2. A conveyer composed of a plurality of independent conveyer units, each unit comprising a supporting member having means for anchoring it to a suitable foundation, springs mounted on each supporting member and carrying a conveyer roller, said supporting members having upright side portions providing guides for said springs, means for retaining the springs under a substantial pre-compression independent of the weight' of the roller and ts associated parts, and said upright side portions extending above the upper- ,axle, and means for retaining the springs under a substantial pre-compression independent of the weight of the roller and its associated-parts.

4, A conveyer unit comprising a base member having. upright guides thereon, springs'in said guides, an axle supported on'an element engaged with said springs, said element being positioned for vertical movement in said guides, a conveyer roller mounted on the axle, and means associated with the guides for retaining the springs under a portions fitting in said springs, a conveyer roller supported on said elements, and meansfor retaining the springs under a substantial pre-compression independent of the weight of the conveyer roller and its'associated-parts. I

6. A conveyer unit comprising a supporting member having oppositely disposed guides there-'- on, springs in said guides. supporting elements having depending portions fitting in said springs, and whose lower cnds are spaced from the bettom wall of the supporting member, thereby to permit limited downward movement or, the elements, a conveyer roller supported in said elements, and non-adjustable means for retaining said springs under a substantial pre-compression independent of the weight of the conveyer roller and its associated parts. g

5 in construction to the-one shownin the previous I. A conveyer unit comprising a memberhaving oppositely disposed guides therea conveyer roller, and means fixed to the supon, springs in said guides, supporting elements porting member for limiting upward movement having depending portions fitting in said springs, of the conveyer roller, said fixed means serving and whose lower ends are spaced from the bottom to maintainsaid springs and roller mounting un- 5 wall ofthe supporting member, thereby to perder a substantial pre-compression independent of mit limited downward movement of said elements, the weight of the roller and its associated parts.

an axle supported by said elements and carrying HU'BERT M. RISBEL. 

